Stop the hazing at universities

At one point or another, every student experiences teasing or ridicule, but at the university level, it takes on a new form called hazing.

Last week the University of Maine at Orono launched its "National Agenda for Hazing Prevention in Education" meant to  develop strategies to curb hazing rituals in sports teams, fraternities, sororities and other campus organizations.

Researchers have acknowledged that hazing takes place at nearly every university; the problem is finding a way to both stop and prevent it.

Their idea is to develop an approach based on social norms. This means gathering research on hazing and showing students that it's not okay and not everyone is doing it.

Hazing is a cruel practice that can often be harmful in more ways than one. Hazing can involve beatings, sleep deprivation, embarrassment, personal servitude, yelling, insulting and many other cruel practices.

These rituals are performed as an initiation to a club or organization; after initiation the new members must carry out the same cruel acts to the next group of potential members.

In 2005 Matthew Carrington, a student at California State University Chico, died after enduring hazing from members of the Chi Tau fraternity.

Carrington and a friend were forced to do push-ups and other exercises in a damp cold basement covered in sewage while being sprayed with icy cold air from large fans and repeatedly having to drink water from five gallon jugs.

During the ritual,  he began to seize and was taken to the hospital. At the hospital, his heart stopped and he was pronounced dead from water intoxication, which caused his brain and lungs to swell.

Sadly, incidents like these aren't uncommon. According to anti-hazing.tripod.com, at least one sorority or fraternity pledge has died every year since 1970 from hazing or alcohol abuse.

UCF isn't immune from these distasteful practices either. Last April, a Kappa Alpha Psi pledge was allegedly beaten and the fraternity was forced into suspension.

Florida State University has developed a website with an interactive quiz to inform students about hazing; the site also includes an area where students can report any hazing incidents which the university then investigates.

Hazing is a serious matter, not only is it an abhorrent act but it is also against Florida law and can result in fines, suspension and withholding diplomas.

If you've been a victim of hazing don't be afraid to speak out. These incidents need to be reported in order for the university to prevent further occurrences.

Victims can email anti-hazing@mail.ucf.edu with a detailed description of the incident or they can call the UCF Safe/Hazing Reporting Hotline at 407-823-4518.

Stopping hazing entirely doesn't seem to be in the near future but we encourage all research efforts to attempt to eradicate this heinous practice both at UCF and other educational institutes.

We also think that those involved in hazing should face serious criminal consequences in the case of death or injury.

There is nothing funny or cool about intentionally harming another human being as a rite of passage. No club or organization is worth compromising your health, well-being and maybe even your life in order to gain membership.